2 Kings 17 7

2 Kings 17:7 kjv

For so it was, that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, which had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods,

2 Kings 17:7 nkjv

For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and they had feared other gods,

2 Kings 17:7 niv

All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods

2 Kings 17:7 esv

And this occurred because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods

2 Kings 17:7 nlt

This disaster came upon the people of Israel because they worshiped other gods. They sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them safely out of Egypt and had rescued them from the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.

2 Kings 17 verses

2 Kings 17 7 Meaning

2 Kings 17:7 presents the divine reason for the Northern Kingdom of Israel's downfall and subsequent Assyrian exile. It attributes their destruction directly to their repeated sin and rebellion against the LORD their God. Central to their offense was the abandonment of the God who uniquely delivered them from Egyptian bondage, choosing instead to revere and worship other deities. This verse summarizes a pervasive and sustained pattern of covenant unfaithfulness that began soon after their liberation from Egypt and intensified throughout their history as a kingdom, culminating in God's righteous judgment.

2 Kings 17 7 Context

2 Kings 17:7 appears directly after the account of Samaria's fall and the Assyrian conquest of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Verses 1-6 describe the siege and eventual deportation. Verse 7 initiates a lengthy theological explanation, from God's perspective, for why this catastrophe befell His covenant people (2 Kings 17:7-23). This explanation highlights that the destruction was not due to Assyria's military might alone or some cosmic imbalance, but solely due to Israel's chronic and pervasive rebellion against Yahweh, who had chosen and redeemed them. It serves as a stern theological indictment and underscores the Deuteronomistic historian's theme of divine retribution for covenant disobedience, particularly idolatry and spiritual apostasy.

Historically, this judgment occurs after centuries of spiritual decline, marked by persistent idolatry introduced by kings like Jeroboam I (golden calves), Ahab (Baal worship), and perpetuated by their successors, despite repeated prophetic warnings. The kingdom had forsaken the Mosaic Law and the worship practices mandated by God, opting for pagan customs and cults, mirroring the very nations from whom God had separated them.

2 Kings 17 7 Word analysis

• For so it was: This phrase acts as a connective, linking the event (Samaria's fall, v. 6) to its cause. It signals a divinely revealed explanation, not merely a historical observation. It attributes a moral and spiritual root to the political disaster.
• the children of Israel: Refers specifically to the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom, the direct recipients of the judgment detailed in the preceding verses. They are the covenant people, designated by God.
• had sinned (חָטָא, chata'): Hebrew for "to miss the mark," to fall short of a standard, or to act rebelliously. It denotes a fundamental offense against divine law and character, not merely a mistake. The pluperfect tense implies a sustained and habitual pattern of transgression over generations.
• against the LORD (יְהוָה, YHWH) their God (אֱלֹהֵיהֶם, Eloheihem): "LORD" is the covenant name of God (Yahweh), emphasizing His personal relationship and promises to Israel. "Their God" underscores His unique claim over them. The sin was thus a breach of this specific, sacred covenant relationship—a form of spiritual treason.
• who had brought them up (הֶעֱלָה, he'elāh): Highlights God's redemptive act of the Exodus, which was the foundational event establishing Israel's identity and covenant with Yahweh. This phrase underscores their utter ingratitude and inexcusable betrayal. The "bringing up" signifies a powerful, authoritative act of liberation.
• from the land of Egypt, from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt: Emphasizes the great power from which God liberated them. This reference recalls God's supreme power over all earthly rulers and false gods (Egypt's deities), establishing Him as utterly unique and unparalleled. Their sin was thus against a God whose power and faithfulness were irrefutably demonstrated.
• and they had feared (וַיִּֽירְאוּ, vayyi'r'ū): Hebrew yare' can mean both "to fear" and "to revere" or "worship." In this context, it implies a reverence or worship that was due only to the LORD. This term explicitly reveals the idolatry as the core violation.
• other gods: This refers to foreign deities such as Baal, Asherah, and the gods of Assyria, Moab, and Ammon, whose worship was expressly forbidden by the First Commandment. Their "fear" of these other gods stands in direct antithesis to the command to fear the LORD their God (Deut 6:13).

2 Kings 17 7 Bonus section

The profound significance of 2 Kings 17:7 lies in its concise summary of the Deuteronomistic theology that permeates Judges, Samuel, and Kings. This historical narrative is less about mere chronology and more about divine instruction, presenting history as an unfolding drama of God's covenant with Israel. The exile of the Northern Kingdom serves as a powerful case study demonstrating that national well-being and longevity were directly contingent upon fidelity to the LORD.

The constant appeal to the Exodus motif throughout the Old Testament, as seen here, is critical. It grounds God's relationship with Israel not in their merit, but in His redemptive act. This act simultaneously created a profound obligation of exclusive loyalty. Israel's failure to maintain this loyalty, manifested through fearing "other gods," was a continuous spiritual adultery against their covenant partner, making their eventual judgment not merely punitive, but a painful severing of a broken covenant relationship, for which they were entirely responsible. Their fear of other gods implies a failure to truly fear the One True God, whose awesome power was demonstrated against Pharaoh himself.

2 Kings 17 7 Commentary

2 Kings 17:7 functions as a crucial theological lens through which to understand the tragedy of Israel's exile. It presents not just a historical observation of their downfall, but God's verdict on why it happened. The essence of their sin was two-fold: an ungrateful rejection of the covenant-keeping God who spectacularly delivered them from unparalleled bondage (the Exodus), and a defiant turning towards the worship of false gods. This highlights the severity of spiritual apostasy and idolatry—it's a betrayal of relationship, a rejection of power, and a direct assault on the unique identity of the True God. Their fear of "other gods" directly contradicted their covenant obligation to fear (revere and obey) the LORD alone. The Exodus, which was meant to permanently bind Israel to Yahweh, instead became the benchmark against which their profound ingratitude and unfaithfulness were measured, justifying the severity of their judgment. This verse underlines a core biblical truth: divine judgment is not arbitrary, but a just consequence for persistent, willful rebellion against a merciful and powerful God.

• Example: Just as a child who forgets their parents' rescue from a perilous situation and then pledges allegiance to strangers commits a grave relational betrayal, so Israel's idolatry was a profound act of spiritual unfaithfulness to their divine Deliverer.
• Example: Their actions imply a disbelief in God's sole sovereignty, seeking protection or prosperity from powerless entities, directly echoing the deception that plagued humanity from the very beginning.